Aqueous skin cleansing compositions have been used for centuries. The problems with them are well known with respect to removing oil based skin deposits or leaving the skin too dry. Likewise oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions also have various difficulties. These and various other issues have been disclosed in WO 01/85103, published on Nov. 15, 2001.
Prior attempts have been made to overcome the foregoing problems of aqueous emulsions by employing anhydrous skin cleansers. Anhydrous skin cleansers, sometimes called waterless cleansers, typically contain high concentrations of water-insoluble solvents, which makes them generally effective at removing oily undesirable moieties from the skin, but less effective in removing water-soluble undesirables. Further, anhydrous skin cleansers typically are not cosmetically elegant tending to have a heavy, greasy feel making them unappealing to the touch and are not easily removed from the skin. They generally must be wiped off with toweling, leaving the skin feeling greasy or need to be washed off with strong soap, leaving the skin feeling harsh and dry.
Various solutions to these problems have been proposed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,526 proposes an anhydrous three component system designed for skin cleansing having a solid particulate matter of various polymers to remove oily particles while being essentially multiphase. The publication WO 01/85103 discloses a substantially anhydrous four component system comprising a) at least one water-immiscible cosmetic emollient oil, the cosmetic emollient oil comprising a major portion of the formulation; b) at least one oil-gelling agent that is both water-insoluble and oil-insoluble; c) at least one emulsifying agent capable of forming an emulsion, in situ, on the skin when a small amount of water is added gradually to the substantially anhydrous formulation during use; and d) a substantially crystalline water-soluble, abrasive material that is substantially insoluble in the substantially anhydrous vehicle of the formulation.
However, each one of them is not totally satisfactory in at least one parameter. A composition within WO 01/85103 has 5-8 wt % oil separation at the top, for example. Because of separation, obtaining the same product distribution with continuous uses and, therefore, giving equivalent benefits is difficult. Additionally, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,526 patent composition is limited to cleansing by removal of oily substances on the skin without the addition of fat bodies to the skin. The WO 01/85103 composition should be removed from the skin with a relatively small amount of water, preferably up to 2 parts of the actual oily composition on the skin. These, and other disadvantages can be overcome by the discovery and use of a new at least substantially anhydrous skin cleansing composition.
The present anhydrous skin cleansers provide skin cleansing exfoliation and/or polishing in a cosmetically aesthetic vehicle while, at the same time, leaving the skin exceptionally soft, smooth and moisturized. The composition has at least enhanced phase stability, can polish and/or exfoliate the skin, and can be effectively removed from the skin with varying amounts of water.